Ephesians 4-6 (New American Standard Bible)

Ephesians 4

Unity of the Spirit

 ¹Therefore I, ^(A)the prisoner of the Lord, ^(B)implore you to ^(C)walk in a manner worthy of the ^(D)calling with which you have been ^(E)called,

 ²with all ^(F)humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another ^(G)in love,

 ³being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the ^(H)bond of peace.

 ⁴There is ^(I)one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one ^(J)hope of your calling;

 ^5(K)one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

 ⁶one God and Father of all ^(L)who is over all and through all and in all.

 ⁷But ^(M)to each one of us ^(N)grace was given ^(O)according to the measure of Christ's gift.

 ⁸Therefore it says,
         "^(P)WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
         HE ^(Q)LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
         AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."

 ⁹(Now this expression, "He ^(R)ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into ^(S)the lower parts of the earth?

 ¹⁰He who descended is Himself also He who ascended ^(T)far above all the heavens, so that He might ^(U)fill all things.)

 ¹¹And He ^(V)gave ^(W)some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as ^(X)evangelists, and some as pastors and ^(Y)teachers,

 ^12(Z)for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of ^(AA)the body of Christ;

 ¹³until we all attain to ^(AB)the unity of the faith, and of the ^(AC)knowledge of the Son of God, to a ^(AD)mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the ^(AE)fullness of Christ.

 ¹⁴As a result, we are ^(AF)no longer to be children, ^(AG)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by ^(AH)craftiness in ^(AI)deceitful scheming;

 ¹⁵but speaking the truth ^(AJ)in love, we are to ^(AK)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the ^(AL)head, even Christ,

 ¹⁶from whom ^(AM)the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself ^(AN)in love.

The Christian's Walk

 ^17(AO)So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, ^(AP)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the ^(AQ)futility of their mind,

 ¹⁸being ^(AR)darkened in their understanding, ^(AS)excluded from the life of God because of the ^(AT)ignorance that is in them, because of the ^(AU)hardness of their heart;

 ¹⁹and they, having ^(AV)become callous, ^(AW)have given themselves over to ^(AX)sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

 ²⁰But you did not ^(AY)learn Christ in this way,

 ²¹if indeed you ^(AZ)have heard Him and have ^(BA)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

 ²²that, in reference to your former manner of life, you ^(BB)lay aside the ^(BC)old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the ^(BD)lusts of deceit,

 ²³and that you be ^(BE)renewed in the spirit of your mind,

 ²⁴and ^(BF)put on the ^(BG)new self, which ^(BH)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

 ²⁵Therefore, ^(BI)laying aside falsehood, ^(BJ)SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are ^(BK)members of one another.

 ^26(BL)BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

 ²⁷and do not ^(BM)give the devil an opportunity.

 ²⁸He who steals must steal no longer; but rather ^(BN)he must labor, ^(BO)performing with his own hands what is good, ^(BP)so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

 ²⁹Let no ^(BQ)unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for ^(BR)edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

 ^30(BS)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were ^(BT)sealed for the day of redemption.

 ^31(BU)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be ^(BV)put away from you, along with all ^(BW)malice.

 ^32(BX)Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, ^(BY)just as God in Christ also has forgiven ^[a]you.

Ephesians 5

Be Imitators of God

 ^1(BZ)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;

 ²and ^(CA)walk in love, just as Christ also ^(CB)loved ^[b]you and ^(CC)gave Himself up for us, an ^(CD)offering and a sacrifice to God as a ^(CE)fragrant aroma.

 ³But ^(CF)immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

 ⁴and there must be no ^(CG)filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which ^(CH)are not fitting, but rather ^(CI)giving of thanks.

 ⁵For this you know with certainty, that ^(CJ)no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom ^(CK)of Christ and God.

 ^6(CL)Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^(CM)the wrath of God comes upon ^(CN)the sons of disobedience.

 ⁷Therefore do not be ^(CO)partakers with them;

 ⁸for ^(CP)you were formerly ^(CQ)darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as ^(CR)children of Light

 ⁹(for ^(CS)the fruit of the Light consists in all ^(CT)goodness and righteousness and truth),

 ^10(CU)trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

 ^11(CV)Do not participate in the unfruitful ^(CW)deeds of ^(CX)darkness, but instead even ^(CY)expose them;

 ¹²for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

 ¹³But all things become visible ^(CZ)when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

 ¹⁴For this reason it says,
         "^(DA)Awake, sleeper,
         And arise from ^(DB)the dead,
         And Christ ^(DC)will shine on you."

 ¹⁵Therefore be careful how you ^(DD)walk, not ^(DE)as unwise men but as wise,

 ^16(DF)making the most of your time, because ^(DG)the days are evil.

 ¹⁷So then do not be foolish, but ^(DH)understand what the will of the Lord is.

 ¹⁸And ^(DI)do not get drunk with wine, for that is ^(DJ)dissipation, but be ^(DK)filled with the Spirit,

 ^19(DL)speaking to one another in ^(DM)psalms and ^(DN)hymns and spiritual ^(DO)songs, ^(DP)singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

 ^20(DQ)always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to ^(DR)God, even the Father;

 ^21(DS)and be subject to one another in the ^(DT)fear of Christ.

Marriage Like Christ and the Church

 ^22(DU)Wives, ^(DV)be subject to your own husbands, ^(DW)as to the Lord.

 ²³For ^(DX)the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the ^(DY)head of the church, He Himself ^(DZ)being the Savior of the body.

 ²⁴But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

 ^25(EA)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ^(EB)gave Himself up for her,

 ^26(EC)so that He might sanctify her, having ^(ED)cleansed her by the ^(EE)washing of water with ^(EF)the word,

 ²⁷that He might ^(EG)present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be ^(EH)holy and blameless.

 ²⁸So husbands ought also to ^(EI)love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;

 ²⁹for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,

 ³⁰because we are ^(EJ)members of His ^(EK)body.

 ^31(EL)FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.

 ³²This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

 ³³Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to ^(EM)love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she ^(EN)respects her husband.

Ephesians 6

Family Relationships

 ^1(EO)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

 ^2(EP)HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise),

 ³SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

 ^4(EQ)Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but ^(ER)bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

 ^5(ES)Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with ^(ET)fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, ^(EU)as to Christ;

 ^6(EV)not by way of eyeservice, as ^(EW)men-pleasers, but as ^(EX)slaves of Christ, ^(EY)doing the will of God from the heart.

 ⁷With good will render service, ^(EZ)as to the Lord, and not to men,

 ^8(FA)knowing that ^(FB)whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, ^(FC)whether slave or free.

 ⁹And masters, do the same things to them, and ^(FD)give up threatening, knowing that ^(FE)both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is ^(FF)no partiality with Him.

The Armor of God

 ¹⁰Finally, ^(FG)be strong in the Lord and in ^(FH)the strength of His might.

 ^11(FI)Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the ^(FJ)schemes of the devil.

 ¹²For our ^(FK)struggle is not against ^(FL)flesh and blood, but ^(FM)against the rulers, against the powers, against the ^(FN)world forces of this ^(FO)darkness, against the ^(FP)spiritual forces of wickedness in ^(FQ)the heavenly places.

 ¹³Therefore, take up ^(FR)the full armor of God, so that you will be able to ^(FS)resist in ^(FT)the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

 ¹⁴Stand firm therefore, ^(FU)HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING ^(FV)PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

 ¹⁵and having ^(FW)shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

 ¹⁶in addition to all, taking up the ^(FX)shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the ^(FY)flaming arrows of ^(FZ)the evil one.

 ¹⁷And take ^(GA)THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the ^(GB)sword of the Spirit, which is ^(GC)the word of God.

 ¹⁸With all ^(GD)prayer and petition ^(GE)pray at all times ^(GF)in the Spirit, and with this in view, ^(GG)be on the alert with all ^(GH)perseverance and ^(GI)petition for all the saints,

 ¹⁹and ^(GJ)pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me ^(GK)in the opening of my mouth, to make known with ^(GL)boldness ^(GM)the mystery of the gospel,

 ²⁰for which I am an ^(GN)ambassador ^(GO)in chains; that ^[c]in proclaiming it I may speak ^(GP)boldly, ^(GQ)as I ought to speak.

 ^21(GR)But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, ^(GS)Tychicus, ^(GT)the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.

 ^22(GU)I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may ^(GV)comfort your hearts.

 ^23(GW)Peace be to the brethren, and ^(GX)love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 ²⁴Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.